Op Ed: War is not the answer

"What difference does it make to the dead, the
orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the
name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?"
(Gandhi)

BURNET, Texas (Feb. 16) – War is never good,
no matter how moral, lofty or beneficial the justification sounds; and, no
matter what the objectives. Even a necessary war of defense has negative
consequences that are devastating. War is the ultimate in destruction. War
destroys peace, it destroys prosperity, it destroys property and most cruelly -
war destroys people.

That's why it troubles me
that the language of war dominates our political discourse. The words we use do
matter. The metaphors we use to express our thoughts reflect how we actually
think about things. It can be disturbing to say the least.

War is a zero-sum game.
There are perceived winners and losers, of course. The losers are destroyed or
killed, but even the winners are left less than whole by the experience. While
I'm proud of my service in the U.S. Air Force, I'm most grateful to have served
as a medic. I was able to serve my country without killing a single human being.
However, I helped treat those who did, and who consequently suffered both
physical and mental harm as a result of their actions. Even though I was
fortunate not to have experienced it first-hand, the destruction of war touched
me and changed my life forever.

The myriad of wars
politicians have declared on an endless series of imaginary hobgoblins have
resulted in equally devastating damage to Americans and people all over the
world. Collateral damage from these martial escapades has shredded the Bill of
Rights, laid waste to the economy and brought us to the brink of financial
collapse.

War is not really about
ideas, not about right and wrong, nor about doing good and opposing evil. War
is about power and control, plain and simple. When we use the words of war to
oppose anybody or any thing, we are actually saying that that person or thing
must be controlled or destroyed.

As a libertarian writer
and activist, I've earned a deserved reputation as a warrior. I know how it is
to wake up every day angry, full of rage, and go to war for what I believe to
be right. And like so many other old warriors, I've now come to realize that
war is hell, war is a racket and, as Benjamin Franklin observed, there never
has been a good war or a bad peace.

Now I can proudly say: I
am not at war.

The heart of
libertarianism is the belief that the initiation of force to achieve political
or social goals is always wrong. In other words, peace is the very heart of
libertarianism. Nothing is more positive than stopping war. Nothing could be
more positive than putting an end to the killing of other people's children.

Peace, like charity,
begins at home. If libertarians are to fully embrace and adopt the message to
stop all war we must begin by embracing the lifestyle of peace at home, and
within ourselves. With peace comes freedom, and with peace and freedom comes
prosperity which knows no bounds, has no barriers, does not discriminate and
benefits everyone.

In recent years, libertarians
have spent way too much time reacting to what other people say about us and not
enough time telling other people what we believe. We've squandered our time in
a vain attempt to modify, compose, or craft our message so as to appeal to an
illusionary average voter.

All the while, we've
missed the essential point. The core principal of libertarianism is a message
of peace and it is echoed not only in American history, but also in the
history, culture and faiths of all peoples. We are taught from childhood, don't
hit others; don't cheat or steal; keep your promises. If you hurt someone, make
it up to them. Always defend yourself, and expect others to do the same. These
lessons of life are the lessons of libertarianism.

Libertarianism is more
than merely a political philosophy. It is a way of life. We need to be it and
live it. We need to stop worrying and reacting and start telling and doing. We
must focus on telling people what we stand for and showing them who we are.

Our focus should not be
to win arguments, or lay blame, or rant against the evils of the State. And we
certainly can't open people's minds by waging war on everything in sight. To
paraphrase H.L. Mencken, I believe in liberty, but I do not believe in it
strongly enough to force it upon others.

Our focus should be on the positive expression of how
liberty and freedom can bring about peace and prosperity. Our lives should
reflect the belief in this positive expression to serve as an example for
others. Our message must be – stop all war. Stopping the wars is the
first positive step toward our return to the peace and prosperity we all
desire.

"War
is not the answer,
For only love can conquer hate."
(Marvin Gaye)